RE: [DL] Question on Army Rank

["Phalen, Pat" <Pat.Phalen@infores.com>]

>allow me to delurk for a moment.  what do you mean by "parallel nature of
>officer/enlisted service that exists in the modern military"?  how does one
>achieve an officer's rank today? 

Enlisted men and commissioned officers are on different promotion "tracks"

Enlisted men can become Corporals, Specialists, and Sergeants (1st, Staff,
Master, SGT MAJ, etc.), but never receive a commissioned rank (LT, CPT, MAJ,
COL, GEN) unless they attend OCS.

Officer Corp attend West Point or another Officer Candidate School. Upon
Graduation, they are commissioned as 2nd lieutenants(AKA "Butter Bars")

Patrick